Piano-player.



J. A. WEBER.

PIANO PLAYER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1915.

i .1 ,225,196, Patented May 8,1917.

I l '1 I M II H JOHN A. WESER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-PLAYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed February 17, 1915. Serial No. 8,786.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. VVnsnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, of the city of New York, in the county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano- Players, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates particularly to the means for winding and rewinding the music-sheet commonly employed in automatic piano playing mechanisms. It is well known that in the ordinary player, at the end of the rewinding of the music-sheet, either for the purpose of playing again the same composition or of substituting another music roll, the end of the music-sheet is di engaged from the winding-on roll and the spool rotates rapidly until the motor stops, the metal ring at the end of the music-sheet striking and marring the inner surface of the tracker-box and causing disagreeable noises. This undesirable action may be prevented by placing the hand of the performer on the music roll just before the rewinding is completed, but this is not always convenient and moreover it soon causes the outside of the roll to become more or less grimy and unattractive. Moreover, unless great care is exercised, the end of the music-sheet is detached from the winding-on roll, even if it should be desired to repeat the same composition, and the performer must then engage the music-sheet again with the roll. It is the object of this invention to provide a simple and effective device for stopping the rewinding movement of the music roll as soon as the rewinding has been completed. In accomplishing this purpose in the most approved manner, advantage is taken of the usual tapering of the end of the music-sheet to uncover a port at the end of the trackerbar and thereby to initiate the operation of devices whereby the motor is stopped and the music-sheet is brought to rest. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which 4 Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of so much of a player piano, with the front casing removed, as is necessary to enable the application of the invention thereto to be understood.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the motor and its controlling device as seen from the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the controlling device being shown in an opera tive position. v

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the motor controlling device shown in an operative position.

Fig. 4 is a detail View in section showing the pneumatic devices through which the motor controlling device is placed in operative connection with the main exhaust.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, on a larger scale, of a controlling connection operated by the rewind lever and shown with its connections in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the tracker-box a, with its winding-on roll Z), tracker-bar 0, music roll (Z, gearing e driven from the motor f and shiftable by the rewind lever g for winding or rewinding, are all constructed, arranged and operate, except as hereinafter pointed out, in the usual manner and may be modified as required by different conditions of use, the present invention not being concerned with the details of construction, arrangement and operation thereof. As

shown, the rewind lever g is connected by a link 9, a rock shaft 9 and a link 9 with a clutch shifting lever g by means of which the motor is connected operatively either with the winding-on roll or with the music roll driver for rewinding, in the usual manner.

The motor f may also be constructed as usual in other respects, but is provided with means whereby atmospheric air may be ad mitted to one or more, preferably two, of the motor bellows 7, each of which may be connected as usual, by a pitman f with a crank f of the crank shaft 7. As shown the usual sliding valve 7, connected by a link f with'the pitman 7, is provided with an eX- tended wire finger 7 which overlies the bent end of a wire finger i The latter is carried by the movable member of a small bellows f which is mounted on the board f of the motor. Preferably, asshown in Fig. l, a. single bellows f carries two wire fingers 7, the ends of which are bent in opposite directions so as to underlie respectively the wire fingers f of two slide valves f of adjacent motor bellows. The motor is connected by a suitable conduit f with the main wind-way of the instrument.

It will be seen at once that if the bellows f is collapsed the two slide valves F Will be raised from their seats, as shown in Fig. 3, and atmospheric air admitted to the corresponding motor bellows j and the motor thereby stopped immediately, together with the music roll. The means whereby in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the bellows f is collapsed when the rewinding of the music-sheet has been completed will now be described. It will be understood that this is accomplished by placing the bellows f in communication with the main wind-way, preferably through the conduit 7'. At It, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1, is placed a pneumatic controlling device, the main chamber 71. of which is connected by a connection 7L2 with the conduit f The main chamber is also adapted to be connected, through a connection If, with the bellows f", such connection being controlled by a valve it which normally is in such position as to maintain communication between the bellows f and the atmosphere through a port If. The foot h of the valve it rests against or is secured to a diaphragm ii], the chamber its, on the side of the dia phragm opposite the main chamber it, being connected through a connection h it with a port 0 in the tracker-bar 0.

The chamber it being provided with the usual bleed connection, not necessary to be shown, with the conduit if, it will be understood that so long as the port 0 is covered by the music-sheet (Z', the air will be exhausted from the chamber it and the valve h will be held in the position shown in Fig. 4, cutting off communication between the main wind-wayv and the bellows f and that, as soon as the port 0 is uncovered by the music-sheet atmospheric air will be admitted back of the diaphragm h and the valve it" will then be moved from its seat in the usual manner, thereby at once establishing connection between the main windava and the bellows f and collapsing the latter. The two slide valves will then be moved from their seats and the motor brought to rest immediately.

In the foregoing description it has been assumed that the connection if 72 is a continuous connection but it will be seen that if such were the 'case it would be impos sible to start the motor, for winding-on, so long as the port a was uncovered. It is therefore necessary to provide means whereby the connection between the chamber it 01 the pneumatic device h and the port 0 .shall be interrupted and the admission of atmospheric air to the chamber it be prevented while the rewind lever g is in the position for winding-on, that is, when it is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to its extreme right hand position. Accordingly the link g is connected at a convenient point to a movable valve block '5, which may be pivoted at i and is chambered on its farther, inner side as at '5 One member h of the connection h it, being a flexible conduit, is connected to the movable valve block 11 and comnumicates with the chamber i therein. The other member h communicates with a port i in a. stationary valve block 2'". So long as the rewind lever g is in the rewind position shown in Fig. 1, the movable valve block 2' is also in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the chamber overlying and registering with the port '5 so that the two members It and h then form a continuous connection between the port 0 and the chamber lb Vhen, however, the rewind lever is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the right, for windingon, the movable valve block will be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 5, whereby the chamber 2' will be moved out of registration with the port and will be closed by the face of the stationary block 71*, thereby preventing the admission of atmospheric air to the chamber if. The valve It will then be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 4, the bellows 7" will remain expanded, and the valves f will remain on their seats, so that the motor can be started regardless of the position of the music-sheet with respect to the port 0.

It will be understood that various changes may be made to suit different players and different forms and arrangements of motors and intermediate gearing and that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described herein. It will also be understood that the operation of the means for admitting atmospheric air to the motor bellows or otherwise stopping the motor might be initiated by the cutting away or perforation of the music-sheet at any point in its length as well as by the tapering of the end of the sheet.

I claim as my invention 1. In a piano player, the combination of an actuating pneumatic motor, music-sheet winding devices operated thereby, and means the operation of which is determined by the position of the music-sheet for admitting atmospheric air directly to the interior of said motor to stop the same.

2. In a piano player, the combination of a meumatio motor, music-sheet windingdevices operated thereby, a tracker-bar having a port adapted to be uncovered by the movement of the music-sheet, and means, the operation of which is initiated by the uncovering of said port, for admitting atmospheric air directly to the interior of said motor to stop the same.

3. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, means for admitting atmospheric air directly to the interior of said motor to stop the same, pneumatic devices for actuating said means and pneumatic controlling devices for placing said actuatingdevices in communication with the main exhaust, the operation of said pneumatic devices being determined by the position of the music-sheet.

4. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, means for admitting atmospheric air directly to the interior of said motor to stop the same, pneumatic devices for actuating said means, pneumatic con trolling devices to place said operating de vices in communication with the main exhaust, a tracker-bar having a port adapted to be uncovered by the movement of the music-sheet, and a connection from said port to said controlling devices.

5. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor having motor bellows andslide valves therefor, music-sheet windingdevices operated thereby, means to move one of said valves from its seat to admit atmospheric air and stop the motor and devices whereby the operation of said means is de termined by the position of the music-sheetu 6. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor having motor bellows and slide valves therefor, music-sheet windin devices operated thereby, a bellows and intermediate devices to move one of said valves from its seat to admit atmospheric air and stop the motor, and means to place said last named bellows in communication with the main exhaust.

7 In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor having motor bellows and slide valves therefor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, a bellows and intermediate devices to move one of said valves from its seat to admit atmospheric air and stop the motor, and means to place said last named bellows in communication with the main exhaust, the operation of said last named means being determined by the position of the music-sheet.

8. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor having motor bellows and slide valves therefor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, a bellows and intermediate connections to move one of said valves from its seat to admit atmospheric air and stop the motor, and pneumatic devices to control the connection of said bellows with the exhaust, the operation of said pneumatic devices being determined by the position of the music-sheet.

9. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor having motor bellows and slide valves therefor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, a bellows and intermeoiate connections to move one of said valves from its seat to admit atmospheric air and stop the motor, pneumatic devices to control the connection of said bellows with the main exhaust, a tracker-bar having a port to be uncovered by the movement of the music-sheet, and a connection from said port to said pneumatic devices.

10. In a piano player, the combination of a motor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, a rewind lever and connections to shift the music-sheet winding-devices, means, the operation of which is determined by the position of the music-sheet, for step ping the motor, and other means, actuated by the movement of the rewind lever, for preventing the operation of the first named means.

11. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, music-sheet windingdevices operated thereby, pneumatic devices for controlling the operation of the motor, the operation of said devices being determined by the position of the music-sheet, a rewind lever and connections to shift the music-sheet winding-devices, and means, actuated by the movement of the rewind lever, for preventing the operation of said pneu matic controlling devlces.

12. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, pneumatic devices for controlling the operation of the motor; a tracker-bar having a port adapted to be uncovered by the movement of the musicsheet, a connection from said port to said pneumatic controlling devices, a rewind lever and means to shift the music-sheet winding-devices, and means actuated by the movement of the rewind lever for control lin said last named connection independently of the music-sheet.

13. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, music-sheet winding-devicesoperated thereby, means to stop the motor, pneumatic devices for controlling the operation of said last named means, a tracker-bar having a port adapted to be 1111-, covered by the movement of the music-sheet, a connection from said port to said pneumatic controlling devices, said connection comprising two main portions with an interposed shiftable connection to connect the two portions or to close the portion connected to the pneumatic controlling devices, a rewind lever, and connections whereby said shiftable connection is shifted by the movement of the rewind lever.

14:. In a piano player, the combination of a pneumatic motor, music-sheet winding-devices operated thereby, means to stop the motor, pneumatic controlling devices for said last named means, a tracker-bar having;

shifted by movement of the rewind lever to establish connection between the two main portions or to close the portion which is connected to the pneumatic controlling devices.

This specification signed and witnessed this 13th day of February A. D., 1915.

JOHN A. VESER.

Signed in the presence of- E. L. GRAEFFE, W. H. KEA'rING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

